I’m excited for this Indochino review for two reasons: first, Indochino is one of the most established made-to-measure suit makers out there.
And second, they were the first MTM brand I ever tried (back in 2012). Here are my thoughts about Indochino in 2016.
Back in 2012 when I first discovered the relatively new world of online custom clothing, I ordered a MTM jacket from Indochino.
I was a total noob when it came to buying MTM clothes, and Indochino was the only brand I’d heard of at the time.
Even though the jacket had some problems (mostly due to my naivety with self measuring), I was hooked on the idea of buying custom clothes without visiting a bespoke tailor.
I just knew that online MTM was going to be a great way for a short man like myself to find dress clothes that actually fit well – without breaking the bank.
Fast forward to 2016, and I’ve become somewhat of an expert at buying MTM shirts and suits online.
At the same time, Indochino has grown to become one of the most well-known MTM brands in the world. This is obviously great for them, but it’s also great for us (the little guys, so to speak).
Why, you ask? Because they’ve accumulated a lot of data about body types over the past few years, and they use this data to cross-check your submitted measurements for accuracy.
I’m not saying Indochino can guarantee perfect fit every time. Nobody can, no matter what they tell you. But I can tell you about my most recent experience with them:
suit | tie | pocket square
First, let’s look at this suit:
- Burgundy stretch wool (5% spandex)
- 300 gsm, heavyweight fabric
- Half canvassed construction
- One button, two vent jacket
- Slim notch lapels
- Pick stitching
- Functional sleeve buttonholes
- Burgundy Bemberg lining
- Flat front pants, no cuffs
- Side adjusters (no belt loops)
Most of my suits are various shades of grey, blue or brown. I’ve never worn a suit on this side of the color wheel, and I have to say: I’m really enjoying it.
Burgundy isn’t as versatile as grey, and it’s not a staple like the navy suit, but it’s surprisingly versatile. You can wear it with lighter or darker shirts, you can dress it up or down, and you have a variety of shoes to choose from.
It pairs perfectly with black accessories, like my shoes, tie, sunglasses and watch.
This is also my first suit made from a stretch fabric (95% wool, 5% spandex). As a guy who likes his suits to fit pretty snug, I really appreciate the extra comfort this fabric provides.
I could see this kind of fabric (wool with a tiny bit of stretch) becoming more mainstream over the next few years.
Now, this suit need a handful of small adjustments out of the box, which is to be expected. When you buy a made-to-measure suit online, chances are it’s going to need a visit to your local tailor.
The important thing is that it doesn’t have any problems that can’t be fixed. For example, if the jacket is too short, that can’t be fixed. The suit needs to be returned and remade.
This suit didn’t have any unfixable problems. It just needed a few adjustments, including:
- Sleeves shortened very slightly (note: the shirt I’m wearing in the photos has very short sleeves)
- Waist suppressed about an inch
- Pants lengthened 1/2″ at the back
This isn’t deal breaker stuff, just small tweaks. It’s almost always worth it to have these adjustments made, especially since Indochino reimburses your tailoring expense up to $75.
You just send them your bill, and they send you a check. So if you buy an Indochino suit, and it needs some tailoring, I strongly recommend taking advantage of this policy.
My Recommendation
Indochino has come a long way since I first tried them out in 2012, and this suit exceeded my expectations. If you’re on the fence with Indochino, know that they have my endorsement.
And if you want to add some variety and color to your suit collection, consider burgundy for your next suit.
Would you wear a burgundy suit? Leave a comment below!
I would never wear a burgundy suit now, but definitely would have in my 20s. No doubt. Really glad to hear you like Indochino. I own a navy blazer, a navy suit and a charcoal suit from Indochino and they all turned out great! And thanks for doing what you do, Brock.
Indochino now does its alterations for free. I just got my first Indochino suit and it was spot on except for an adjustment of the lapel. Really really pleased with it. Trying my first short now.
I would absolutely wear a burgundy suit.
I am the owner of a Joseph A Bank custom burgundy tuxedo. I will admit that I saw the same suit on one of the sales guys and it brought back a big memory-that of me picking up a used After Six burgundy tuxedo for some events in high school. But my mother blew my plans and made me return the suit. I swore I’d have one one day and that day came two years ago. I wear it pretty much like it’s supposed to be worn: white tuxedo shirt, black bow ties and cummerbund and it gets a lot of compliments. It proves that if you wait, great clothing can come back to you allowing you to truly make it yours.
That suit looks great. I wish I’d had as good of an experience. I tried to buy 5 shirts. Ten months later, I finally canceled after they told me that they lost my measurements. I made 6 visits to the store. Every time, they would re-make my order and when the order came back, the last issue would be fixed, but something new would be wrong. I don’t mean a little wrong. Big stuff. Like the front buttons won’t button because the chest is too small, or the arms are tighter than a blood pressure cuff, or the shoulder extends a half inch over my shoulder. I can only imagine the clown factory that they are running that makes this possible.
I’m sure not everyone is in your position to go out on a limb with a company like this. I’d suggest unless you have play money to shop for a suit or shirts or pants, stick to known brands and stores that have a strong reputation. You can read the other reviews online and find plenty of Indochino disaster stories.
Indochino is not really a made to measure company. The people that takes your measurements are very inexperienced and have little or no tailoring experience. My wife insisted I try out Indochino and boy was it ever a mistake. Furthermore, they do not give refunds. I have a fairly regular body that does not require much alteration. The suits that I got drops in the back resulting in pouches under my armpit. After the first alteration, the pouch was still there. The second alteration, the arms was too small to fit. The third time, I looked inside the jacket, the shoulder was all crunch up. I tried putting it on, I couldn’t. I turned my sleeve inside out to take a look. It was all stitched together. I got them to make another one. By this time, it was too late, I have already missed my daughter’s graduation in a new suit and now I will miss her wedding in a new suit. I had to take it to a reputable tailor (very well known in town0. The tailor told me all the things that were wrong with it. It pinned up areas that need alteration and told me to look in the mirror. Boy! Did I look different. He looked at the pants and said there is not enough material in the front and the cutting was all wrong.
Custom tailors that I know do not sew everything up and then try to make alterations. You always get a proper fitting after the fabric is cut before they sew any piece together.
The material at Indochino is really cheap and it wrinkles easily. If you have to spend that much money on a suit, I recommend you go to places like Moores or Tip Top, pick out a quality suit and if needed, get someone reputable to do your alternations.
Hey Brock, may you let us know which one is better? indochino or Dragon Inside? Thanks.
I like my indochino suits and shirts. My main complaint is that the sewing strength of the buttons is terrible. I’ve had very few buttons fall of of dress shirts and other buttoned clothing. In the 6 or so months that I’ve had 2 suits and 8 shirts from Indochino, I’ve had 10-12 buttons fall off. It’s crazy. Once my slacks had a very loose button but the rest of the incidences involve their shirts.
Hey Brock, beautiful suit! I’m really wanting a brown one like the light brown flannel suit you had made by Oliver Wicks. But your code for 50% off is almost too good to pass up. I’ll have to check what suits are available on Indochino. Also, you mentioned you need the sleeves shortened however they are functioning sleeves. How will your tailor do this? My tailor has to take in at the shoulders which is expensive. Much easier if the sleeves are non-functioning but the extra details to functioning sleeves is a very nice touch.
you are rockin the suit my friend. the tailor reimbursement makes the package all the more sweet. I will def consider Indochino for an online suit. The color is really cool, subtle and sharp. Cheers…..
Very Smart…love the look!
Looks amazing! Love the color.
Thank you, sir!
The cut and the color look great. Wow they offer stretch wool. That changes everything!
Yeah man, I think we’re going to start seeing more and more of this.